52 Hz Whale – To be or not to be?

Have you ever felt unheard? Have you ever been in a room full of people, yet unable to talk to or relate to anyone at all? Have you felt lonely? Then, this article might interest you.

A couple of years earlier, I had gone for whale watching. Unfortunately, weather played spoil sport and the trip had to be cancelled. Apparently, like humans, most Whales too are social creatures and many of them travel in groups called ‘pods.’ You might have heard of whale songs. They use sound as a medium for communicating with each other.

The frequency with which blue whales communicate fall in the range of 10 – 40 Hertz. There is a particular whale which has come to be known as the loneliest whale in the world. The reason being, it communicates at 52 Hertz, making it impossible for other whales to hear this one. It is a sad thought, isn’t it? Not being able to hear fellow beings or to be heard by them is indeed one of the loneliest feelings. Imagine the deafening silence that this whale has to live with.

Now, coming to work place, should we be the 52 Hz whale or not is the question.

Let us look at it from the perspective of the team one works in. If we are not able to put across our thoughts effectively to the team, how do we function effectively? One might have the best of ideas. But, if the team is unable to ‘hear’ it or decipher it, how will those ideas come to life? One can claim to be unique and different from the rest of the team, which is good. However, if one doesn’t make an effort to communicate in a way that the team understands, how will collaboration happen? More so, in a time when all of us are separated by the pandemic, there is need for more communication in a way that one’s team understands. Even if a person is an individual contributor, they will need to work with stake holders – talk, share, agree/disagree and get work done. So being a 52 Hz team member might not take you too far ahead.

Let us look at a team that communicates at 52 Hz. Many a time, a team considers themselves to be unique or the best among an organization. I feel, every team should think so as they bring a unique capability to the firm. But, if they are not aligned with the organizational direction and if they feel that they are so unique that they function at an entirely different strata than the rest of the organization, will they be able to make a meaningful contribution?

We all would have come across some teams during our career which has a ‘reputation’ in the organization. They are known for their micro culture, more often led by a strong headed leader who firmly believes that their way of being is the only way to be. This will compel all the team members to follow the leader’s style. So when a new joiner steps in, it becomes difficult for them to assimilate. There are only two options – either be like them or leave. Worse possibility is for the team to hire only those people who are mirror images of the leader. Eventually, such a team will become a 52 Hz team in the organization.

I thought to myself, isn’t communicating at 52 Hz about having a unique voice? Isn’t it about diversity? On deeper thought, I realized that having a unique voice is not about speaking/ functioning in a way which no one understands. It is about having different opinions, ideas, thoughts or experiences and bringing them on to the table. 

As much onus is there on the organization to let its people retain their voices, equal responsibility lies with the individuals to collaborate, assimilate and make meaningful contributions to the team and to the organization. One must make efforts to cultivate a unique voice. More importantly, one must make efforts to make it heard.

In my opinion, being at 52 Hz is an individual not making an effort to be curious, learn about other people, their perspectives and talk to them in a way which others understand. In doing so, one is depriving the organization of one’s perspectives and oneself from being heard and understood. On that note, I feel we should try and sing at all spectra and not just at 52 Hz. What do you think?

                                                                                                     Arun Babu.